The Silver Doe

Chapter 25

Chapter 25

~ Muggle Town ~

Nothing much had changed back at Lillian's old street. Severus was right: the longer she supresssed it, the harder it's going to get. And so she decided to spend the summer holiday with Severus, no matter how painful it would be seeing her old home.

When the got off their train at King Cross station, Lillian half expected them to hail a taxi. But instead Severus took Lillian down into a dark alleyway, where an old bin compartment was.

"Step in, then." Snape insisted. Apprehensively, Lillian stepped in. When he closed the door, a light flicked on. Severus was close to her, very close. It began to move. The door opened again. Lillian was urged out, and before them on a grass field there was a portkey. Ahhh, now she understood.

"Here, let me take that suitcase." Severus stretched down to his right and took Lillian's suitcase from her. "Why you didn't just get it sent to you, I'll never know."

His voice. It was... soft. What was going on here, thought Lillian.

Severus's house had not altered much, noted Lillian. It was still dusty, cluttered, and riddled with books. It was sunny out, and Lillian was sweating. She still had her robes on as she had run out of clean clothes.

Severus unlocked his front door with the use of the wand then pushed the door open. Lillian was dying to look 'round. She was absolutely dying to look back and see her old house; the house she was brought up in as a child. The only good thing that ever came from that house, including Lillian's memories, was her mother. That's all.

- - -

"Lillian? Are you... um... hungry?"

"Yeah, I am actually."

Severus stood awkwardly at the foot of his stairs, looking up at Lillian who was at the top peering down. "Um... What do you want?"

"I don't know. What d'you want?"

"I'm not that hungry."

"Then just leave it, I'm not that hungry either."

Severus groaned. "Do you want food or not?"

"Yes!"

"Then what do you want and I shall organise it myself?"

"You can cook?"

"Yes, what idiotic being can't?"

"Me!"

"Oh..." Well this is getting more awkward by the second, thought Severus. "I'll send you something up but don't blame me if you don't like it!" he barked then turned away and entered his kitchen, wand at the ready.

He was not used to this sort of stuff.

- - -

~ Snape's House, back home ~

A week into the summer and Lillian had already received a message from Leo. She was in the midst of stroking Prince when suddenly she heard a toot at her window. She looked up and saw Severus's black owl staring at her through the glass, holding a letter. She opened her window stiffly and took the letter from the owl, after stroking its feathers first.

'Dear Lilly.

How's your summer going? Mine's is going OK, so far. My dad says he's gonna take me to the big Quidditch back that's coming up. How awesome is that? Things are starting to get a little shaky round here, people are starting to go missing - and not just muggles. My dad said that I shouldn't write to anyone 'cause he doesn't think it's safe, but I really wanted too. Anyways, I'm thinking (when we get back for next term) me and you go to Hogsmade? I want to buy my mum something. She keeps nagging. But she's been a little ill lately, so I thought what the hell, I'll buy her something to shut her the hell up! Oh, I saw Arostia the other day, she told me to tell you hi. So, hi. That's from her by the way.